As UND prepares to release the football schedule for it’s first year of D-I FCS (I-AA) football, fans have deduced that the schedule will probably look something like this:
Aug. 28 Texas A&M-Kingsville
Sept. 6 St. Cloud St.
Sept. 13 UW-La Crosse
Sept. 18 @ Idaho St.
Sept. 27 @ Southeastern Louisiana
Oct. 4 OPEN
Oct. 11 OPEN
Oct. 18 Western Washington
Oct. 25 @ UC Davis
Nov. 1 @ Southern Illinois
Nov. 8 Southern Utah
Nov. 15 OPEN
Nov. 22 @ South Dakota
Note — this is not the official schedule, but a fan compilation of known and rumored games
The first year of the transition is the toughest to schedule, because UND is considered a “non-counter” for teams with aspirations of making the I-AA playoffs. The inevitable comparisons with first-year schedules for other recently transitioned schools have arisen, and bincitysioux came through again with a breakdown of 1st year D-I schedules for current and former Great West members.
SDSU HOME GAMES: three DII’s, one transitional (GWFC game)
SDSU ROAD GAMES: two transitional, 5 established DI’sUC DAVIS HOME GAMES: four DII’s, one transitional (future GWFC team), one established DI (future GWFC team)
UC DAVIS ROAD GAMES: one DII (future GWFC team), three established DI’sNDSU HOME GAMES: one non-scholarship, one NAIA, one DII, three established DI’s (2 GWFC games)
NDSU ROAD GAMES: three transitionals (GWFC games), two established DI’sUSD HOME GAMES: three NAIA, one DII, one transitional (GWFC game)
USD ROAD GAMES: five established DI’s (2 GWFC games)N. COLORADO HOME GAMES: five DII’s
N. COLORADO ROAD GAMES: one DII, one transitional (GWFC team) four established DI’sUND HOME GAMES: one non-scholarship, three DII’s, one established DI (GWFC game)
UND ROAD GAMES: one transitional (GWFC game), 4 established DI’s (1 GWFC game)
While every football fan should have been hoping for a better schedule, this is on par with what other transitional teams were able to put together.
While comments here are always welcome, you might as well just head over to the UND 2008 Schedule thread and check on the latest.